Soccer Insider: August 24, 2008 - August 30, 2008

Greetings from RFK. For the game-time weather forecast, click here. Some classic Ben Olsen quotes left over from the other day after training. Commenting on the birth of his first child (a daughter) in late September, he said: "I have taken numerous baby classes. They have only scared me more."...

*Read about DCU iron man Clyde Simms. *Who needs a new stadium when you have the magic of Rice-Eccles? Real Salt Lake remained perfect on its concrete surface with a 2-0 victory over fading Colorado. Video highlights of Fabian Espindola's two goals are here. *In its final game before the...

*Honduras has changed its mind and decided not to bring in Ivan Guerrero for the two upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Here is what happened: Honduras formally requested Guerrero and was hoping he would arrive at training camp next Monday. But because of United's U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday at...

*Read about Red Bulls prospect Matt Kassel, a freshman at the University of Maryland. The Terps open the season against UCLA at Home Depot Center tonight (10 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel). *DCU's Jaime Moreno and Ivan Guerrero will play in upcoming World Cup qualifiers. *MLS tonight: Colorado at Real...

Now that we know the USA roster for the Cuba and T&T qualifiers, let's take a look at each player..... GOALKEEPERS Tim Howard: no arguments Brad Guzan: no arguments DEFENDERS Carlos Bocanegra: no arguments Oguchi Onyewu: no arguments Heath Pearce: no arguments Steve Cherundolo: suspended for Cuba, eligible for T&T...

.....but not until he plays for D.C. United in the U.S. Open Cup final. As we told you over the weekend, Bolivia requested the DCU team captain for World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador on Sept. 6 and Brazil four days later. United's concern was that he would miss the Open...

You should know that..... *USA Coach Bob Bradley is tentatively scheduled to unveil his roster for the Cuba and T&T qualifiers around 1 p.m. ET today. Eighteen players will be in uniform for each match, but because it is an extended time together and injuries and suspensions come into play,...

It's one of those rare situations in MLS where every team has played the same number of matches (21 out of 30, or 70 percent), so let's take a look at the playoff pairings at the moment: EAST 1. New England vs. 4. DCU 2. Columbus vs. 3. Chicago WEST...

What's it like to be part of the U.S. delegation for a qualifier in Central America? Here's a taste..... You'll love the fancy locker room, the Bob Marley lyrics on the chalkboard, the walk through the safety tunnel and the field-level highlights....

This clip of the Louisiana State keeper scoring against BYU over the weekend is beginning to making its rounds online and, predictably, found its way onto "SportsCenter." A nice kick for distance, but the manner in which it went into the net was ridiculous....

*Joe Vide took an unconventional path to MLS and D.C. United's starting lineup. *Cuauhtemoc Blanco says the Fire wants him to play two more years. *While MLS teams fell, Cruz Azul rolled to a 6-0 victory in its Champions League opener, all but assuring passage to a group that includes...

MLS teams lost tonight to Joe Public and Tauro. Not Pachuca and Saprissa. Not Pumas and Comunicaciones. Not Alajuela and Olimpia. Joe Public and Tauro. In a meaningful competition. In mid-season form. Oof. Now, it ain't the end of the world for the Revs and Goats; they still get to...

First on the list is Ismael Ehui, a French forward formerly with Fulham. DCU is also looking at Stanley Nyazamba, a Zimbabwe midfielder from USL2 Richmond who had six goals and two assists this season. The club plans to observe some of the guest players who appeared in today's reserve...

Over the next couple days, you will probably start to hear names of players being invited to USA training camp for the upcoming Cuba and T&T qualifiers. Here's the deal: A very preliminary list of about three dozen players is floating around, but the real, streamlined roster will be not...

You are Chivas USA. You have struggled all season. You have been decimated by injuries. You are confronted with the sobering possibility that, one year after finishing atop the Western Conference standings, you will miss the playoffs. And now you face the possibility of as many as eight additional matches,...

*Third-seeded Cleveland pulls its second playoff upset, defeating top seed Charlotte, 2-1, for the USL2 championship. *Freddy Adu debuts with Monaco. *According to this parody, I am in excruciating pain! *Media matters: I will be on Comcast SportsNet's "Washington Post Live" on Tuesday around 5:25 p.m. and will host a...

Valencia's early strike provided a two-goal aggregate lead in the Spanish Super Cup, but Real Madrid roared back and, despite finishing the game with nine players, claimed a 4-2 victory and a 6-5 series conquest. Some great highlights. Be sure to turn the volume up to 11. (Let's hope the...

THE GOOD *Joe Vide's one-timer for his first career goal and Santino Quaranta's rocket. *Andre Rocha from 40?! *Chad Barrett turns, fires, equalizes. *Guillermo Barros Schelotto sets up Chad Marshall's early goal and later adds a PK and another assist. Can you say: MVP? *Steve Ralston's 350th career start. He...

I mentioned to Luciano Emilio after the match that he had earned two assists during DCU's 3-0 victory over Colorado on Saturday night. He shrugged and deadpanned, "I am a No. 10." Funny Brazilian. With all the absences, the formation shift, the new goalkeeper, the secondary players thrust into primary...